Chapter 2, Love Like a Whale Shark

Ye Fei sniffed, and her stomach unceremoniously grumbled twice. She came to her senses, realizing that the aroma of food was not merely a figment of her imagination. Opening her eyes, she saw fried rice presented in a bowl shape, with two pieces of fried chicken wings beside it. The plate was cushioned with two paper towels, which is why she had not heard the sound of it being placed down. Her gaze swept across the table, where Chen Jiajun had a similar serving of fried rice in front of him, half-eaten. He had taken a spoon for himself, but in front of Ye Fei, not only was there a stainless steel spoon in the plate, but also a pair of chopsticks.

She hurriedly waved her hand, directly meeting Chen Jiajun's gaze. It was rare for him not to show a mocking expression, "Fei will take care of the store, and we will arrange according to the coach's schedule. They are all very experienced, so you can rest assured."

"Continue walking forward on the monkey bar, that place 'Joy', your roommate Inda is right there." Jia Jun took a sip of water, "Also, I told them that whatever you want to eat can be charged to your account, at the employee discount price." He tapped the edge of the plate with his fingertip, "However, the meal expenses will be deducted from your wages."

She nodded and said, "It is the most marvelous animal I have ever seen"

"Oh, I see," Ye Fei pouted, thinking to herself, "What about the wages? Given the boss's capitalist demeanor, will there even be enough for meals? Am I going to have to pay out of my own pocket?" With this thought, her ear seemed to hurt even more. While eating, she rubbed her jawline and occasionally wiped her ear to check for any pus.

Ye Fei shook the droplets of water from her hands as she walked into the store. After the divers left, the television in the hall remained on, playing a diving video: a group of colorful tropical fish danced past the camera, names eluding Ye Fei; the next scene showed a sea turtle, diligently munching on a large expanse of coral; then came the underwater cliffs, where four or five sharks, each the length of a person, circled by, the closest one almost brushing against the camera, its fierce gaze clearly visible, seemingly fixated on the lens. Ye Fei shivered and took a step back. At that moment, the camera panned to the vast, boundless blue water, the music becoming deep and somber, accompanied by a heartbeat-like drum rhythm, followed by an ethereal female voice softly singing: "love love is verb, love is a doing word." The melodious tune carried a hint of mystery, as a vague and enormous figure gradually emerged in the expansive light gray-blue. Its head was flat and square, adorned with white spots on its deep blue back, the camera slowly panning along its streamlined body, as if a long time had passed before revealing its gently swaying tail fin. This was a colossal creature, surrounded by countless small fish swimming around it. Ye Fei did not recognize what kind of fish it was, only feeling its massive size, akin to a small boat compared to the surrounding divers. Yet it exuded no sense of oppression; despite its wide-open mouth, sharp teeth were nowhere to be seen. Sunlight filtered through the ripples on the water's surface, casting a net-like pattern of light on its back. It swam leisurely, gliding freely in the water, its back carrying a piece of the night sky.

Ye Fei stood behind him, wrinkled her nose, stuck out her tongue, raised the book in her hand, and waved it a couple of times at his back

Ye Fei stood in front of the screen, almost forgetting to breathe. This was the most elegant being she had ever seen, seemingly existing only in delicate picture books or ethereal dreams. She felt her heartbeat resonating with the rhythm of the song, and tears were about to well up in her eyes.

Ye Fei walked over to browse through the books; one was an introductory textbook on diving, and the other was a pictorial guide to tropical coral reef organisms. She suddenly realized, "I see now why you were trying to save face for me just now"

I did not expect him to be so attentive, Ye Fei sincerely said, "Thank you"

But he asked you to work at the dive shop

The sound of Chen Jiajun's footsteps came from the wooden staircase as he descended from the second floor. He greeted the elderly man, saying, "Hello, I am the coach here, KC. She has just arrived at the store, so feel free to ask me anything."

If we could switch..." Inda said, somewhat shyly

Ye Fei rolled her eyes and said, "I want to go to the monkey bar, freedom. It's not bad to come here either"

Paul pointed to Ye Fei and said, "This young lady, would you like to go with me?"

It's generally okay. However, that boss seems to always be angry

"It can't be... k.c.tan, can it?" Ye Fei suddenly realized, "No wonder you said he is a great person"

Oh dear, you must not go back to the dive shop and say that" She covered her face

After Paul left, Chen Jiajun stood in front of the whiteboard with his arms crossed, studying the diving plan for the next day. Ye Fei approached and asked, "Boss, is there anything else you need me to do?"

If your health is good, then of course there is no problem. Chen Jiajun inquired in detail about the elderly man's health condition and formulated a review and diving plan for him for the next two days

"It's just like love, isn't it?" Paul laughed, "You know it exists, but you don't know where to look for it." He looked around the dive shop and said, "I haven't gone diving in seven or eight years, and I don't know if I can take a refresher course before going out to sea with you all"

The elderly man smiled and asked, "Are you working here?"

Ye Fei was taken aback for a moment and replied, "I suppose so"

Ye Fei turned around and saw an elderly man with a head full of silver hair. Despite the wrinkles covering his face, his deep blue eyes remained clear.

If I could dive, I would also like to work in the store, as the salary would be much better. Inda sighed, but I know nothing at all

Hello, my name is Paul. I saw the video while passing by, so I came over to say hello. The old man pointed to the television and asked, "Was this filmed here?"

Ye Fei glanced at the time; it was already past 2 PM. She stuck out her tongue and said, "Who should I return it to?"

Chen Jiajun nodded: "You know it is in the sea, but you do not know exactly where it is"

Jiajun nodded, "This is a film from a few years ago. This is not a regular route for whale shark migration, so they are not often seen. You know, whether or not one can see a whale shark, no one can guarantee it."

After having fried rice, Ye Fei carried two plates and walked under the scorching sun towards Joy. Passing by Monkeybar, she peeked in and saw that Song Xi was not there. A familiar friend who was watching the store replied that his girlfriend was coming back today, and Song Xi had gone to pick her up. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Yinda greeted her with a smile, "Roomie, how was your day?"

He is a ... ... "Ye Fei couldn't remember how to say capitalist in English, "He is very mean.

"How is today?" Ye Fei hummed softly, "Nothing much, just too long, as long as forever."

"Are you talking about Mr. Chen?" Yinda tilted her head, her mouth agape, "He is a truly good person"

She felt someone standing beside her, and then heard a weathered voice say: "It's amazing, isn't it"

He seems to have eyes on his back: "Don't make faces. Ugly."

Is it common to see whale sharks here

Of course, sleep is restless. In a daze, I am always worried that the stern boss is standing beside me, letting out a cold snort and giving me a sharp rap on the head. Ye Fei internally laments; this feeling is reminiscent of returning to middle school, where during self-study periods, one had to be on guard against the sudden entrance of the homeroom teacher. Yet this comfortable temperature is strikingly similar to the early summer evenings of youth, where apart from exams, there were no worries. The classroom windows are open, and the aroma of someone’s fried rice wafts in, along with the fragrant scent of crispy green onions. But this comfortable temperature is strikingly similar to the early summer evenings of youth, where apart from exams, there were no worries. The classroom windows are open, and the aroma of someone’s fried rice wafts in, along with the fragrant scent of crispy green onions.

So don't go, or you'll be scolded to death. The boss has never mentioned a raise; I only know that I owe him 200 dollars..." Ye Fei shrugged, "... Oh, at least I still have money for food.

Wait a moment. Ye Fei leaned in closer to her face and said, "You don't... like someone, do you?"

No, no. Inda waved her hand and said, "You should go back quickly, go back quickly. I have to work too."

"It was supposed to be you who went to buy the meal, but by the time you wake up, everyone will probably be starving to death." Without lifting their head, the other party quickly finished the meal, pushed the plate forward, and said, "Return the plate after you finish eating."

"Of course, did you take this?" Paul exclaimed, "I have been diving for over twenty years. Of course, there are times when I only dive a few times a year, but I have never seen a whale shark."

Ye Fei sat at the wooden table on the porch, first flipping through the biology atlas. Apart from some uniquely shaped fish, the rest seemed to her merely variations in color, vibrant yet impossible to remember their names. However, there were a few that resembled the yellow croaker and ribbonfish seen in the market, and perhaps even grouper. Remembering her financial constraints, she sighed, set the atlas aside, and picked up an introductory textbook to read. After a brief glance, she found the physics section quite simple, covering the most basic formulas of buoyancy and air pressure, along with some common knowledge about the propagation of sound, light, and heat underwater; the content on diving equipment was entirely new to her. Thus, she patiently read through it word by word. Outside, the sunlight was glaring, and the fine, smooth white sand shone dazzlingly, but the sea breeze brushed against her face, making her feel completely at ease in the shade. Ye Fei had woken up early and had been busy all morning; after reading a few pages in English, her eyelids began to droop. Initially, she sat upright at the table, but the longer she read, the more her back bent. First, she supported her chin with her left hand, and later, she simply stretched her arms out on the table, resting her cheek on them, thinking that a short nap would do her good.

She is truly a simple little girl, both shy and unable to keep her thoughts to herself. Clearly eager to share her secrets with others, yet too timid to know how to begin. Ye Fei no longer pressed for answers, smiled, and walked out of the restaurant

Because of the character "whale" in the name, Ye Fei quickly understood that the gentle giant in the video was the whale shark mentioned by the elderly. She shook her head and said, "This... I really don't know."

Are you very busy

Chen Jiajun disdainfully replied, "Give you face? If I tell the customers that my employees know nothing, it would be utterly embarrassing"

Of course. He pointed to the two books that had just been taken down from the second floor and said, "Make sure to read them when you have time. Otherwise, when guests ask you about your work here, you won't know anything."